Doyle Beneby Jr., the departing CEO and president of CPS Energy, is going global and moving beyond the carbon-generated energy business.
Chicago-based New Generation Power International (NGPI), an international independent renewable energy company, this morning named Beneby, 56, a veteran utility and power industry veteran, as its new chief executive officer, effective Oct. 1. The announcement was made via Business Wire from Chicago.
Beneby has served as CPS Energy’s CEO since 2010. The board is expected to name a member of the energy utility’s senior leadership team as acting CEO at its Sept. 28 board meeting. A permanent replacement is expected to be in place by Jan. 1.
There has been considerable speculation about Beneby’s future ever since he entered into protracted discussions with the board about a new contract, which eventually was offered but never officially accepted by Beneby. His resignation announcement contained no information about his future plans, except his statement that would be working from San Antonio for at least one year.
The hallmark of his time at CPS Energy was moving the municipal utility away from coal-generated power and into cleaner natural gas and renewables, including the building of 400MG of solar generation capacity, launching residential solar programs, purchasing more wind energy, and setting a goal of increasing CPS Energy’s renewable portfolio to 20% by 2020. It now appears he is leaving behind work in the legacy power generation industry and going 100% into renewable energy.
“Doyle brings deep energy industry experience and knowledge that will take NGPI to the next level,” said Chairman Chirinjeev Kathuria, who founded the company in 2009. “He is well-respected within the energy industry, especially for his dedication to spreading the benefits of renewable energy to serve electricity consumers– and that is our mission here.”
NGPI describes itself as a “growing international clean-tech leader investing often in partnership with local developers in a wide spectrum of natural resources-related projects, including solar, wind, geothermal heat, biomass and hydro.”
“Chirinjeev Kathuria and NGPI demonstrate the power and potential of renewable energy in all of its forms, and the contribution it is making in the areas of the world that need it most,” said Beneby. “I have seen the difference that clean-energy sources make, and I am eager to help the company continue to grow around the world.”
Previously, Beneby held leadership roles at Florida Power & Light Co., Consumers Energy Co., PECO Energy, ComEd and Exelon Power, where he served as president. He has been an independent director of Capital Power Corp. since April 2012.
“Surging interest in carbon-free sources of energy is driving the emergence of the renewable fuels sector and NGPI is one of the few international companies that expect to engage in projects and embrace the spectrum of natural resources – including solar and wind to hydro, geothermal heat and biomass,” the NGPI press release stated. “New Generation Power International is an international, independent power company with a portfolio of multi-technology, utility-scale renewable energy projects. Its vision is to provide clean, reliable power generation in an efficient way to global markets to meet the rapidly increasing demand. Visit the company online at www.newgenpower.com.”
Kathuria, a Sikh recognizable by his use of a Dastaar or turban, is described in his official bio as a “serial entrepreneur” who has started several tech companies that he has either sold or that have gone public. NGPI appears to be developing services in all categories of renewables: wind, solar, hydro, biomass, and geothermal, and it appears to bringing those technologies to emerging countries around the world with operations in Europe, Asia and Africa.
*Top image: Doyle Beneby Jr., the departing CEO and president of CPS Energy. Photo by Scott Ball.
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Yay, Doyle!!!